Tool holder

ABSTRACT

A tool holder for a tool kit composed of handle and two tool heads, such as an hatchet head and a shovel blade, which may be selectively attached to the handle to form two different tools. The holder has a holster-like case with a pocket for receiving the tool formed by the handle and one tool head, a second pocket for receiving the other tool head, and a flap for closing the pockets. The flap is secured in closed position by a Velcro fastener, and the rear wall of the case mounts a spring clip for attaching the case to the user&#39;&#39;s belt.

United States Patent [191 Genchi [451 Dec. 17, 1974 1 TOOL HOLDER [76] Inventor: Rocco Genchi, 1154 Kraemer Pl.,

Anaheim, Calif. 92806 221 Filed: Feb. 26, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 335,481

[52] US. Cl. 224/26 B, 224/2 E, 224/5 A [51] Int. Cl. A45c l/04 [58] Field of Search 224/5 R, 5 A, 5 MC, 8 R,

224/26 R, 26 B, 26 D, 26 J, 26 K, 26 C, 2 A, 2 B, 2 D, 2 E, 2F

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,020,050 3/1912 Padrick. .1 224/2 F 1,030,223 6/1912 Batchelder.. 224/2 E 2,383,748 8/1945 Sherman 224/26 C 3,091,378 5/1963 ODwyer 224/26 R 3,664,560 5/1972 Perkins 22 4/5 R Primary Examiner-Robert G; Sheridan Assistant Examiner-John Mannix Attorney, Agent, or FirmB0niard 1. Brown [57] ABSTRACT A tool holder for a tool kit composed of handle and two tool heads, such as an hatchet head and a shovel blade, which may be selectively attached to the handle to form two different tools. The holder has a holsterlike case with a pocket for receiving the tool formed by the handle and one'tool head, a second pocket for receiving the other tool head, and a flap for closing the pockets. The flap is secured in closed position by a Velcro fastener, and the rear wall of the case mounts a spring clip for attaching the case to the users belt.

4 Claims, .4 Drawing Figures TOOL HOLDER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to too] holders of the type which may be worn by persons for holding tools when not in use. The invention relates more particularly to such a holder for a tool kit composed of a handle and two separate tool heads which may be selectively attached to the handle to form two different tools.

2. Discussion of the Prior Art A variety of so-called combination tools or tool kits have been devised which comprise a number of separate tool parts that may be assembled in various combinations to form different tools. US. Pat. No. 3,473,712 discloses such a tool kit as well as a holder for containing the kit parts when not in use.

Simply stated, the tool kit described in the above patent has a handle and two tool heads which may be attached to the handle to form different tools. One of these heads is a combination hatchet, hammer, and saw. The hatchet has a blade with a cutting edge at one 'end. The hammer is essentially a metal block firmly attached to the opposite end of the hatchet head. The saw blade is attached at one end to theax blade adjacent the hammer block and extendsat right angles to the common axis of the blade and hammer. This combi nation head may be attached to the handle with the hatchet blade and hammer projecting laterally of the handle and the saw blade either extending centrally through the handle in a storage configuration or coaxially from the handle in a use configuration. The other tool head is a shovel blade which may be attached to the handle to form a spade or shovel.

The tool holder described in the patent has a holsterlike case fashioned from leather, plastic or the like.

This case has a pocket opening through its upperend for receiving the combination tool formed by the tool kit handle and the combination tool head withthe saw blade in its storage configuration within the tool handle. At the upper end of the rear wall of the tool case is a flap which may be folded forwardly over the pocket and downwardly against the front wall of the case and secured to the latter wall to retain the tool in the pocket. The flap has a second pocket for receiving the other tool head, i.e., the shovel blade. A belt is attached.

to the rear case wall to permit the case to be worn, holster fashion, by the user of the tool kit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention provides an improved tool holder-for tool kits of the character described, particularly the kit described in the above mentioned patent. The present holder has a holster-like tool case with front, center, and rear walls defining a front pocket between the front and center walls of a rear pocket between the center .and rear walls. At the upper end of the rear wall is a is sized and shaped to receive the tool formed by the tool kit handle and one tool head. In the described embodiment, for example, the rear pocket receives the combination tool of the patented kit formed by the handle and the hatchet head. The rear pocket has a bottom opening through which the tool handle may protrude. The front pocket of the tool case is sized and shaped to receive the other tool head, i.e., the shovel blade.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a tool holder according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation of the holder;

FIG. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 in FIG. 2.

DEscRiPTIoN, OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The illustrated tool'holder 10 has a holster-like tool case 12 which may be fashioned from leather, plastic or other suitable material. Tool case 12 has front, center and rear walls 14, l6, 18 joined along their side and bottom edges to form an upwardly opening front pocket 20 between the front and center walls and a rear pocket 22 between the center and rear walls. The walls are joined along their side edges by edge strips. 24 which are folded about the wall edges, as shown, and stitching 26 which passes through theedge strips and walls, and along their bottom edges by the stitching only. I

The upper end of the rear case wall 18 form a pocket closure flap 28. This flap is foldable forwardly over the pockets 20, 22 and downwardly against the front case wall 14 to close the pockets. The edge strips 24 and stitching 26 continue about the edge of the flap, as shown. Flap 28 is secured in its closed position by fastening means 30. According to a feature of the invention, this fastening means comprises pads of Velcro book and pile material secured to the front side of the front case wall 14 and to the inner side of the flap 28, respectively. Accordingly, the flap may be fastened in closed position by merely pressing on the flap to press the hook and pile pads into interlocking engagement. The flap is opened by pulling the flap away from the front case wall.

At the rear of the tool case 12 is a spring clip 32 for attaching the case to the users belt. This clip comprises a generally S-shaped strip of spring metal or the like having a down-turned rear end 34, a center portion 36,

and an up-tumed front end 38. The front end 38 of the clip extends upwardly through a pocket 40 formed between the rear casewall l8 and a strap 42 stitched or otherwise secured to the rear wall. The end is retained in the pocket by friction or in any convenient way. The rear end 34 and center portion 36 of the clip form therebetween a downwardly opening slot for receiving the users belt. Thus, the .tool case may be easily attached to the belt by simply sliding the clip over the belt and may be removed justaseasily by reversing the procedure. From this explanation, it is apparent that the case is worn holster-fashion by the user.

As noted earlier, the holder 10 is designed to contain or hold a tool kit of the kind described in the previously is extended to To this end, the pocket is sized and shaped, as shown,

to receive the upper portion of the tool handle 44 and the hatchet head 46 (with the saw blade in storage position within the handle). The lower portion of the handle protrudes through an opening 52 in the lower end of the rear pocket adjacent one side edge of the pocket. The pocket is cylindrically enlarged or formed along the side edge to accommodate the handle. The front case pocket is sized and shaped to receive the shovel blade in the position shown with regard to the pocket sizing, it will be observed that the front pocket is relatively deep to contain the entire shovel blade. The rear pocket, on the other hand, extends from the top of the front pocket to a position spaced some distance above the bottom of the front pocket and is thus relatively shallow compared to the depth of the front pocket to accommodate the hatchet head.

What is claimed as new in support of Letters Patent l. A tool holder adapted to be worn by the user of and contain a tool kit including a handle a hatchet head to be attached to said handle to form a hatchet having a blade extending laterally to one side of the handle, and a shovel blade to be attached to the handle to form a shovel, said holder comprising:

a holster-like tool case including front, center, and rear walls having side and bottom edges joined to one another to form an upwardly opening front pocket'between said front and center walls and an upwardly opening rear pocket between said center and rear walls, and a pocket closure flap joined to said rear wall and foldable forwardly over said pockets and downwardly against said front wall,

one of said pockets being adapted to receive said shovel blade and the other pocket being adapted to receive said hatchet head when attached to said handle to form said hatchet a,

said one pocket being relatively deep to contain substantially the entire shovel blade, and said other pocket being relatively shallow compared to the depth of one pocket to contain said hatchet head and having a bottom opening adjacent one side edge of said other pocket through which said handle may extend when attached to said hatchethead,

coacting means on said front wall and flap for releasably securing said flap to said front wall, and

means on said rear wall for attaching said case to the users belt, wherein said front pocket is the shovel blade receiving pocket and said rear pocket is the hatchet head receiving pocket and said rear pocket is generally cylindrically formed along said one side edge to accommodate said handle.

2. A tool holder according to claim 1 wherein:

said front pocket is the shovel blade receiving pocket and said rear pocket is the hatchet head receiving pocket.

3. A tool holder according to claim 1 wherein:

said other pocket extends from the upper end of said one pocket to a position some distance above the bottom of said one pocket.

4. A tool holder according to claim 1 wherein:

said clip comprises a generally S-shaped resilient strip having a rear downwardly extending end and a central portion defining an intervening downwardly opening slot for receiving the users belt, and a front upwardly extending end adjacent said rear case wall, and

said belt attaching means further comprises a strap secured to said rear case wall and defining with the rear wall a pocket receiving said front clip end. 

1. A tool holder adapted to be worn by the user of and contain a tool kit including a handle a hatchet head to be attached to said handle to form a hatchet having a blade extending laterally to one side of the handle, and a shovel blade to be attached to the handle to form a shovel, said holder comprising: a holster-like tool case including front, center, and rear walls having side and bottom edges joined to one another to form an upwardly opening front pocket between said front and center walls and an upwardly opening rear pocket between said center and rear walls, and a pocket closure flap joined to said rear wall and foldable forwardly over said pockets and downwardly against said front wall, one of said pockets being adapted to receive said shovel blade and the other pocket being adapted to receive said hatchet head when attached to said handle to form said hatchet a, said one pocket being relatively deep to contain substantially the entire shovel blade, and said other pocket being relatively shallow compared to the depth of one pocket to contain said hatchet head and having a bottom opening adjacent one side edge of said other pocket through which said handle may extend when attached to said hatchet head, coacting means on said front wall and flap for releasably securing said flap to said front wall, and means on said rear wall for attaching said case to the user''s belt, wherein said front pocket is the shovel blade receiving pocket and said rear pocket is the hatchet head receiving pocket and said rear pocket is generally cylindrically formed along said one side edge to accommodate said handle.
 2. A tool holder according to claim 1 wherein: said front pocket is the shovel blade receiving pocket and said rear pocket is the hatchet head receiving pocket.
 3. A tool holder according to claim 1 wherein: said other pocket extends from the upper end of said one pocket to a position some distance above the bottom of said one pocket.
 4. A tool holder according to claim 1 wherein: said clip comprises a generally S-shaped resilient strip having a rear downwardly extending end and a central portion defining an intervening downwardly opening slot for receiving the user''s belt, and a front upwardly extending end adjacent said rear case wall, and said belt attaching means further comprises a strap secured to said rear case wall and defining with the rear wall a pocket receiving said front clip end. 